4/28/12 WNCMA “Kids Rule” OpenTournament

Had a great time and appreciate all the folks that participated in the spring’s tournament. Thanks Everyone.

Dojo Finish Work Needed

We wil lhave a dojo work day on May 19th to work on Trim and Staining. Please be at the dojo by 9:00am.

SAKA Franklin Clinic April 20th.

Thanks to all that attended the Franklin Clinic. Special Thanks to  Sensei Margaret and Sensie Bill for taking the lead in my absence.

Results will be posted and belts presented the week of May !st

Sensei Ammons

SAKA Clinic/Testing 1/28/2002 Belt Promotions

Welcome to WNC Martial Arts

Welcome to WNC Martial Arts.

Our primary focus is the “Perfection of Character” of all our participants. Our martial arts is a JKA based traditional Shotokan Karate. We take the precepts of  christian faith, martial arts and good morale character from our instructors, to train the whole student both physically and mentally to be a better citizen who can defend themselves if necessary. Our classes center around JKA Shotkoan Karate system offering self defense, self discipline and self confidence for our students. WNCMA was founded by Boyd Ammons in 2001. Boyd has trained in martial arts since 1984 and is a member of the JKA Training Program.

Dojo Kun

THE DOJO KUN

Spoken with pride

A Dojo Kun is a verbal affirmation that is recited by all of the
students, usually at the end of each training session.

The purpose of the Dojo Kun is to remind all of the students in the dojo,
regardless of their rank, that the physical, mental, and spiritual growth that
they enjoy as a byproduct of their karate training, must also extend beyond the
dojo’s walls.

By that I mean, in order to derive the true benefits of Shotokan
karate-do, each student must take the underlying principals of this art form
and make them a regular part of their daily life.

The following Dojo Kun is taken from the 20 Precepts of Master Gichin
Funakoshi, it should be recited out loud one line at a time, first by the
dojo’s sensei or senior sempai, and then repeated immediately afterwards, in
unison, by all of the students in attendance prior to the final bows at the end
of each class.

The following explanations set forth the meaning of the Dojo Kun.

1. Seek Perfection of Character

Character

This means that the art of karate is more than just physical. All
beginners, especially the young, should be taught the importance of character
building through discipline and rigorous training. For the beginner, the
character building process begins with perfecting techniques through
repetition. The spirit to fight will be achieved as one gains more confidence
through development of stronger techniques. Train to bring out the spirit, not
only to fight but to overcome personal problems especially in times of
sickness, domestic crisis or business problems. It is a long path to develop
these spiritual values but once the concept is understood and experienced it
will provide a lifetime benefit of inner strength and peace.

2. Be Faithful

Loyalty

To be faithful is a strong samurai tradition and an extension of the
Confucius influence on the family and martial arts. The faith to be shown is in
your sensei and dojo. The student must always be faithful to his sensei and
follow in much the same way as a medieval samurai was bound to follow his
feudal lord to the death without hesitation. While this may seem unusual in the
present day, it is unreasonable to expect a sensei to teach all he knows to a
student who is likely to leave for the slightest reason. The student must prove
his loyalty over the years. The faith and loyalty extended to the sensei will
be rewarded, in that a greater amount of knowledge and wisdom will be passed on
to the student and this bond between sensei and student is extremely valuable
and is the basis of the learning relationship.

3. Endeavor

Effort

To endeavor means complete dedication and commitment necessary to achieve
mastery of the art. In no case is mastery possible without strenuous effort and
sacrifice on the part of the practitioner. The endeavor must be of a sincere
nature and not just superficial. Serious effort on the part of the student will
be recognized by the sensei that will in turn spend more time with him or her.

4. Respect Others

 Etiquette

Respect for others is an important part of the Japanese and Okinawan
culture therefore common to the martial arts. Gichin Funakoshi stressed that
karate begins and ends with etiquette. He also stated that without courtesy
there is no dojo. This is a reflection of the formal nature of the Japanese
people and may be observed bowing during training as well as at home or office.
Dojo etiquette is well defined. You bow correctly and show respect in
everything you do and everywhere you go. Respect is extended to all…sensei’s,
parents, educators, law, deceased, nature, etc.

5. Refrain from Violent Behavior

 Control

A trained fighter is a person with a fierce competitive spirit and great
strength so it is unfair to use it against an untrained person. The karate-ka’s
spirit is unbeatable and must use his knowledge only for the sake of justice. A
person of character can walk away from a fight because he is in control of his
emotions and is at peace with himself. He does not have to test his abilities
on the street. He wins without fighting and he will have no regrets because no
one will be injured. Refraining from violent behavior is hard to explain to many
Westerners because of their environment, or the attitude of winning
tournaments, and they want to do it as quickly as possible which is against the
principles of karate-do and dojo kun. It is therefore necessary for instructors
to constantly remind the students of the importance of the dojo Kun.

Precepts

Precepts

While it has been suggested that the Shōtōkan niju kun were documented by around 1890, they were first actually published in a book in 1938 The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate as:

1. Karate-do begins and ends with bowing.
一、空手道は礼に始まり礼に終る事を忘るな
Hitotsu, karate-do wa rei ni hajimari rei ni owaru koto a wasaru na

1. There is no first strike in karate.
一、空手に先手なし
Hitotsu, karate ni sente nashi

1. Karate stands on the side of justice.
一、空手は義の補け
Hitotsu, karate wa, gi no tasuke

1. First know yourself, then know others.
一、先づ自己を知れ而して他を知れ
Hitotsu, mazu onore o shire, shikashite ta o shire

1. Mentality over technique.
一、技術より心術
Hitotsu, gijitsu yori shinjitsu

1. The heart must be set free.
一、心は放たん事を要す
Hitotsu, kokoro wa hanatan koto o yosu

1. Calamity springs from carelessness.
一、禍は懈怠に生ず
Hitotsu, wazawai wa ketai ni seizu

1. Karate goes beyond the Dojo.
一、道場のみの空手と思ふな
Hitotsu, dojo nomino karate to omou na

1. Karate is a lifelong pursuit.
一、空手の修業は一生である
Hitotsu, karate-do no shugyo wa isssho de aru

1. Apply the way of karate to all things. Therein lies its beauty.
一、凡ゆるものを空手化せよ其処に妙味あり
Hitotsu, ara yuru mono o karateka seyo; sokoni myomi ari

1. Karate is like boiling water; without heat, it returns to its tepid state.
一、空手は湯の如し絶えず熱度を与えざれば元の水に還る
Hitotsu, karate Wa Yu No Gotoku Taezu Netsu O Atae Zareba Motono Mizuni Kaeru

1. Do not think of winning. Think, rather, of not losing.
一、勝つ考は持つな負けぬ考は必要
Hitotsu, katsu kangae wa motsuna; makenu kangae wa hitsuyo

1. Make adjustments according to your opponent.
一、敵に因って轉化せよ
Hitotsu, tekki ni yotte tenka seyo

1. The outcome of a battle depends on how one handles emptiness and fullness (weakness and strength).
一、戦は虚実の操縦如何に在り
Hitotsu, tattakai wa kyo-jitsu no soju ikan ni ari

1. Think of hands and feet as swords.
一、人の手足を剣と思へ
Hitotsu, hi to no te-ashi wa ken to omoe

1. When you step beyond your own gate, you face a million enemies.
一、男子門を出づれば百万の敵あり
Hitotsu, danshi mon o izureba hyakuman no teki ari

1. Formal stances are for beginners; later, one stands naturally.
一、構は初心者に後は自然体
Hitotsu, kamae wa shoshinsha ni atowa shizentai

1. Perform predescribed sets of techniques exactly; actual combat is another matter.
一、形は正しく実戦は別物
Hitotsu, kata wa tadashiku, jisen wa betsumono

1. Do not forget the employment of withdrawal of power, the extension or contraction of the body, the swift or leisurely application of technique.
一、力の強弱体の伸縮技の緩急を忘るな
Hitotsu, chikara no kyojaku tai no shinshuku waza no kankyu

1. Be constantly mindful, diligent, and resourceful, in your pursuit of the Way.
一、常に思念工夫せよ
Hitotsu, tsune ni shinen ku fu seyo

The word Hitotsu means “one” or “first” and is prepended to each rule to place it at the same level of importance as the others.

References

1. ^ Gichin Funakoshi (1938). The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate. ISBN 978-4-7700-2796-2.
2. ^ Gichin Funakoshi (1975). Karate-do: My Way of Life. ISBN 0-87011-463-8.

Perfection Of Character

“Perfection of Character”

I believe in the principles of karate-do, dojo-kun. It is  the way of life i have chosen to live. I am a Christian. The  premise of martial arts “Perfection of Character”, respect  in all things that you are a part of,  helps make me be the  person I have chosen to be.  Applying the precepts of martial arts  work in harmony with my Christian faith to keep me in due bounds of that which  is both right and good.

I believe in the dojo-kun  as I line up with others during training.  I kneel, close my eyes,  meditate, and pray with thankfulness for being able to train another  day and the many blessings those who have chosen to participate in class  have brought with them to the dojo. We are a family.   At the  end of a class we recite the dojo kun as a reminder of our commitment to  “Perfection of Character”. No room for harming others, self pride,  ego or malicious intentions only a humble existence based on respect  and commitment to always put others before oneself and show respect in all  things that we do.

A true warrior follows the creed of the martial artist, the Dojo Kun:

Seek perfection of character!

Be faithful!

Endeavor!

Respect others!

Refrain fromviolent behavior!

As a karate-ka these precepts sum up the philosophy for which I live by.

I believe that in our daily walks we should strive to live remembered and die
regretted leaving a legacy of respect with those we have the ability to
interact with.  We should always put our thanks to our Lord in humble
appreciation for all that has been provided for us.

Boyd Ammons